Luke 12:13-21 - And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consistheth not in the adundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no romo where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy souls hall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
So many people today judge themselves and/or others based on the things that they have. The material possessions that we hold onto here on Earth. But really, what do those materials mean? I know, as humans, we all have things that we wish to have. We at some point in our lives have thought, "Man, if I just had ________ I would be completely happy." But no material possession will ever be enough. Even if you get that pony, car, iPod, cell phone, house, job, amount of money, etc. you will not be satisfied. There is only ONE thing that can truly satisfy us, and that is God.
I'm sure that most, if not all, of you are familiar with Paul from the Bible. Paul was a man who, when he was known as Saul, had material possessions. He had power within the community. He had what most of us would consider to be a pretty good life. But he didn't have God. When God interevened in Paul's life, it got a lot harder. But Paul didn't complain. Paul rejoiced in the fact that God was his Lord and Savior, and that NO man could take that from him. Paul rejoiced in doing God's work here on Earth and he rejoiced in the fact that he knew he would be going to Heaven when God was ready to call him home.
Paul said in Philippians 1:12-14 - But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
And in Philippians 4:4 Paul reminds us to - Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Lastly Philippians 4:11-13 - Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Although Paul faced persecution and spent many nights in a number of jail cells because of his belief and teaching of Jesus Christ, he did not falter in his love for God. He knew that what was happening to him was part of God's plan and he rejoiced in that.
So I ask you to stop and take a look at your life. Think about all the magnificent things God has blessed you with. Think about your Savior, your family, your friends, your nice hair or cute toes, your brain and your education, the roof over your head and the shoes on your feet. Everything.
Then take a moment and think about something that happened in your life that was hard to deal with. Think about how God used a situation that looked bad to make a difference in your life. Whether that thing made you stronger, bolder, more caring, etc.
And then, I challenge you to constantly rejoice in your Lord. Our God is great, no matter what our particular circumstances are at the time. And if you cannot find one other thing to rejoice in throughout your day, rejoice in the fact that God loved YOU enough to send His son to die in your place. When you think about the love and blessings that God has given you, it's extremely hard to stay sad, angry, or frustrated. We have to remember that everything happens for a reason, and that those things that happen in our lives are the tools God is using to shape us into the person that He wants us to be for Him.
God Bless,
Taylor
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